Nowadays, knee problems have become quite a normal issue faced by aged people. Being severely damaged by arthritis, it becomes even harder for people to execute some of the daily routine activities such as walking or climbing the stairs, etc. When non-surgical treatments do not help, then the ultimate solution for the problem is total knee replacement surgery.
Nowadays, knee replacement surgery is considered to be the safest and effective treatment to deal with stubborn knee pain and discomfort. As per a survey, more than 7 Lakh total knee replacement surgeries are performed in the United States.
Knee replacement surgery
It is a surgical treatment in which the damaged knee joints are replaced with the prosthesis. Depending on the condition of the knee joint of the patient, surgical treatment is recommended to the patient by the doctors.
When does the knee replacement surgery recommend to the patients?
The following are the three reasons when knee replacement surgery is recommended:
- Osteoarthritis– This is the most common type of arthritis which usually occurs in aged people because of the normal wear and tear of the knee joint.
- Rheumatoid arthritis– In this type of arthritis the membrane around the knee joint starts becoming thicker and inflamed, this causes severe pain and stiffness.
- Post-traumatic arthritis– This arthritis type occurs because of a knee injury. The knee cartilage gets affected when the bones around the knee joint break.
What kind of patients are recommended knee replacements?
The patients who suffer the following are suggested knee replacement surgeries:
- Patients who suffer from chronic pain and stiffness even while carrying out their daily routine work such as walking or getting up from the bed etc.
- Patients who suffer moderate pain which eventually increases at the time of resting or sleeping.
- Inflammation and swelling which does not get improved even after having proper medications.
Kinds of Knee replacement surgeries
The following are the two kinds of knee replacement surgeries:
Partial knee replacement surgery– In this surgery, only one side or part of the knee joint is replaced. In other words, smaller incisions are made, less bone or part is removed. However, this kind of surgery does not long-lasting result as that of total replacement surgery. The risk of blood loss and infection in this type is less.
Total replacement surgery– In this type of surgery, both sides of the knee joint are replaced. It is the most common form of knee replacement surgery. The patient is supposed to experience less pain. However, the presence of scar tissue can make the movement and the bending of the knee difficult. This full knee replacement surgery usually takes 1 to 3 hours.
Recovery from the surgery
The patient who undergoes knee replacement surgery is usually hospitalized for 3 days. However, it depends on how well they respond to the treatment. The doctors always prescribe physical therapy sessions to the patient so that the knee joints can be strengthened and the risk of future complications can be reduced.
